{"title":"Books by Philip MacDougall","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781398112995","title":"Portsmouth's Military Heritage","description":"The dockyard at Portsmouth was founded by Henry VII, developing into a naval base that was essentially the nation’s most important military establishment. Here, in times of war, huge fleets were assembled and the harbour that lay alongside the dockyard witnessed the constant arrival and departure of ships engaged in convoy duties, blockading and attacking enemy ports or intercepting hostile seagoing fleets. In turn, it was a potential target for an enemy, for if the dockyard could be destroyed or captured, then the nation’s first line of defence, the Royal Navy, would cease to be effective. Sensitive to such a danger, successive governments built defence structures in and around Portsmouth as well as barracks to house the navy, army and marine personnel. As the firepower of guns increased and the nature of fortifications changed, so did the defences of Portsmouth, with these gradually pushed further and further back so that the forts and gun batteries would always ensure the safety of Portsea Island from either land or sea attack.In the twentieth century the defences were adapted further for the new threat of aerial bombardment or attack by submarine. This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about Portsmouth’s remarkable military history.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43128793923762,"sku":"9781398112995","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398112995_bf113ac6-2bf8-4741-8246-ab37e06ac981.jpg?v=1786018708"},{"product_id":"9781399044592","title":"The Naval Mutinies of 1798","description":"For Ireland, the year 1798 saw a major rebellion breaking out against rule from London, a time in which Britain was in its fifth year of a hard-fought war against revolutionary France. Set in motion by the Society of United Irishmen, an underground organisation with links to Paris, the rebellion was eventually crushed by an overwhelming force of arms. In this new, dramatic account, Philip MacDougall shines a light on a little covered aspect of this history: the United Irish plot to capture a number of British warships and the planned use of those vessels in support of the rebellion that broke out in 1798\\. The means by which those ships were to be taken, not by direct external attack but by mutinous intrigue directed from on board, is fully explored.While ships blockading the French port of Brest returned to re-victual in Cawsand Bay, with many of the officers on shore leave, it was an ideal time for the plotting of mutinies. United Irishman alongside English and Scottish republicans could safely mix with those on other ships to develop a unified strategy.This book offers a micro study of how the planned mutiny plot developed and was co-ordinated. Personalities, cliques and idealists are seen as taking leading roles, with attention given to the motivating issues that lay behind those risk takers who knew that failure would result in likely hanging from the yardarm. Based on research from the National Archives, contemporary newspaper reports and the detailed hand written minutes of the courts martial held upon those identified as rebel leaders and some of their supporters (containing the actual words of the people of the lower deck) this is a full and balanced account of the plot which, if successful, would have re-written history.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581214945458,"sku":"9781399044592","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399044592_94729e64-d32f-457c-99a7-66735d75260b.jpg?v=1786019221"},{"product_id":"9781398117488","title":"Lost Gillingham","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe town of Gillingham in Kent grew up around the Royal Navy’s Chatham Dockyard. By the River Medway, this had been an important maritime area for centuries but it was only in the nineteenth century that the small settlement grew into a town. A large proportion of the town’s workforce and businesses depended on the dockyard, so its closure in the 1980s meant that the town had to rethink its focus. It is now the largest and busiest town in the Medway region but much has changed over the years: annual military and naval displays that are now just a memory, houses occupied by artisans and labourers that were demolished, shops and chapels that were removed due to extensive road projects, and cinemas and theatres that were redeveloped, as well as barracks, defence works and the Victorian naval dockyard that have had to find a new lease of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLost Gillingham presents a portrait of this corner of Kent over the last century that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not only industries and buildings that have gone but also people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Gillingham will appeal to all those who live in the area or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56297917710709,"sku":"9781398117488","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398117488_9dfd1cae-0ad2-42a3-98f1-964af1b63a5c.jpg?v=1786018083"},{"product_id":"9781398113152","title":"The Thames Estuary's Military Heritage","description":"The Thames Estuary is the gateway into London that had to be defended against seaborne invasion. Through proximity to the Continent, these waters were a likely passageway for those intent upon seaborne raids or invasion, necessitating the need for a powerful naval force to be on hand when threatened. The first fortifications date back to Roman times. To support the British navy in these waters, four of the nation’s royal dockyards – Chatham, Deptford, Sheerness and Woolwich – were clustered along the Thames Estuary or close by on the Medway from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for the commissioning, refitting and repair of warships. As well as being of importance for the defence of the country, the Thames Estuary fulfilled another role: that of underpinning naval activities designed to support British tactical and strategic operations in more distant parts of the world. Close to the mouth of the Thames, and near the point of confluence with the Medway, was the Nore, a key naval anchorage where newly commissioned warship assembled, taking on crews and receiving final instructions before joining the active seagoing fleet. In the twentieth century, additional defences against attack by submarine or from the air were established, and gunpowder factories sited along the estuary.This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about the remarkable military history of the Thames Estuary over the last 2,000 years.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298427744629,"sku":"9781398113152","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398113152_43309a29-d520-4233-8cf7-dba75e5523bb.jpg?v=1786018712"},{"product_id":"9781445689258","title":"Secret Gillingham","description":"The modern town of Gillingham grew up on the banks of the River Medway around the Royal Naval Dockyard of Chatham, most of which actually lay within Gillingham. The sixteenth century saw the expansion of the one-time fishing and farming village of ‘Jyllingham’ into a town. The population of the town expanded as the dockyard, with its accompanying fortifications around the Medway, grew, and today Gillingham is the largest town in the Medway area.In this book Philip MacDougall investigates Gillingham’s past, including many lesser-known and secret events, including a hidden English warship sunk by the Dutch when they invaded the Medway and that was still under the foundations of the dockyard; the prison hulks for convicts and prisoners of war moored in the River Medway, off Gillingham; an attempt to turn the town into a seaside resort to rival Margate; Jezreel’s Tower and the unusual sect that built it; the country’s worst death toll from a single bomb dropped in the First World War; and failure to prepare the town for the threatened mass bombing of the Second World War.Secret Gillingham explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Gillingham through the centuries. With tales of remarkable people and unusual events, and fully illustrated, this book will appeal to all those with an interest in this town in Kent.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300013879669,"sku":"9781445689258","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445689258_8a14e2db-d8bd-490a-948a-5825adc73166.jpg?v=1786020557"},{"product_id":"9781848686359","title":"Chatham Through Time","description":"Chatham is a town that has been undergoing change for the last five hundred years. It all began with the arrival of the naval dockyard in the sixteenth century. From this, a town was created which began to grow with the rapidity of a Chatham built warship. The site of the former dockyard is still under development and in the town major changes are not only underway but others are in the pipeline and will include the Brook, the waterfront and the area of the railway station.  What better time can there be for a book on Chatham that not only looks at the past but also the present? While many of the photographs show the town as it is today - many of those scenes will also be changing in the near future. This book attempts to capture this evolving town, and will be of interest to anyone who knows and loves this area.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307921125749,"sku":"9781848686359","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781848686359_2a7e5b66-473f-44bf-84c4-0fa7fca53eea.jpg?v=1786029244"},{"product_id":"9781445650395","title":"Secret Chichester","description":"Dr Philip MacDougall, local historian, takes you on a journey through the City of Chichester revealing much of its lesser-known history. Here you will find the story behind the city’s nineteenth-century banking crisis, the activities of a London mob of criminals who targeted the Goodwood races, a fascinating collection of letters written during the First World War and even how local politicians once bribed potential voters with lashings of beer.Blending the serious and the not so serious and drawing heavily on primary sources, including newspapers and original documents, Secret Chichester gives a fascinating look at this city’s past with images from long ago and today.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312393335157,"sku":"9781445650395","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445650395_8b65582a-1c9b-4959-a4a2-23e31da16cab.jpg?v=1786020835"},{"product_id":"9781398124233","title":"Portsmouth: A Potted History","description":"\u003cp\u003ePortsmouth is primarily known for its long-term association with the Royal Navy, the naval dockyard at one time the world’s largest employer of a civilian workforce. Yet there is much more to Portsmouth than being home to Britain’s Senior Service. In Portsmouth: A Potted History, the city’s Roman and Saxon origins on Portsea Island are traced, alongside its rapid growth from the twelfth century onwards as a merchant township specialising in overseas trade. This book describes how its naval and military connections have significantly influenced the way the future city was to develop and also examines how Portsmouth and its people adapted to its long-term conversion into a military-industrial stronghold designed for the defence of the nation. The severe damage the city suffered in the Second World War and the growth of the modern-day metropolitan Portsmouth is also examined, showing how the services and other industries that make today’s diverse city were built.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIllustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Portsmouth has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the city.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368752329077,"sku":"9781398124233","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398124233_46ec3eed-729c-44c1-a4f7-86ff1e91d3a3.jpg?v=1786018326"},{"product_id":"9781398128408","title":"Chatham: A Potted History","description":"\u003cp\u003eChatham is primarily known for its long-term association with the Royal Navy; its naval dockyard at one time was one of the world’s largest employers of a civilian workforce. Yet there is much more to Chatham than being home to the Royal Navy. This book presents the history of the town of Chatham, including those who lived alongside the dockyard and those who supported the artisans and labourers employed in the yard. Chatham’s military connections also significantly influenced the way the town developed over the centuries. In the nineteenth century Chatham had an impact on Charles Dickens as he spent his early years in the town, and it influenced his writings later. This book about Chatham and its people shows how this growing community adapted to its long-term conversion into a military-industrial stronghold designed for the defence of the nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIllustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Chatham has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420568498549,"sku":"9781398128408","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398128408_cf58d48d-8eee-47d9-b764-a4593d266c72.jpg?v=1786018432"},{"product_id":"battles-of-the-russian-navy-1793-1815","title":"Battles of the Russian Navy 1793 - 1815","description":"In the naval war fought against France between 1793 and 1815, the activities of the Russian navy have been substantially neglected by Western historians. This book seeks to redress this oversight. After Great Britain and France, Russia had, during these years, the world’s third most powerful navy, with squadrons of warships primarily active in the Baltic, North Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean and Adriatic.Active in the war against Revolutionary France as an ally of Great Britain, the central theme of this book is that of evaluating the effectiveness of the Russian navy during those war time years, giving particular attention to its co-operation with the British Royal Navy in several campaigns. That some of the leading Russian naval officers had been cadets at the Portsmouth Naval Academy in England, and some of the Russian ships captained by officers recruited from within the British navy was an important factor in ensuring that those periods of co-operation often ran smoothly. But not always. On occasions, this early example of international naval co-operation was blighted by moments of friction and misunderstanding. However, the low point came during the reign of Paul I (r.1796-1801) when the two navies were effectively at war and Nelson fully contemplating a bombardment, similar to the one conducted on Copenhagen, of Russia’s two most important naval bases, Tallinn and Kronstadt.Viewing the Russian navy of this period as one fundamentally created by Catherine the Great (r.1762-96), its establishment by Peter the Great (r.1682-1725) and its original purpose is not ignored. Throughout, the book is informed by first hand writings and documents, many not available in Britain, these highlighting the tactics and strategies adopted by Russian commanders. Often played down by western naval historians, those strategies and tactics were often in advance of accepted naval doctrine, and achieved several notable victories. Not forgotten is the importance of the land-based infrastructure that was so essential in supporting Russia’s seagoing navy, conditions of service on Russian ships and the nature of the command structure.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57502078730613,"sku":"9781036136772","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036136772.jpg?v=1786780894"},{"product_id":"spies-traitors-saboteurs","title":"Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs","description":"Portsmouth, Woolwich, Deptford, Chatham, Plymouth and Sheerness were the major dockyards supporting the British navy for hundreds of years, joined by Rosyth during the early twentieth century. These dockyards ensured the Royal Navy, Britain’s first line of defence, was capable of putting to sea, with dockyards building and maintaining the fleet. The importance of these yards did not go unnoticed by those who counted themselves as enemies of Great Britain, with those enemies diverting their resources to both attempting to attack and destroy those yards or sending spies into the dockyard towns to seek out the secrets of the navy. This book tells this little known story of the spies, traitors and saboteurs who sought to undermine Britain’s naval strength at sea by way of either bringing physical damage to those yards or eliciting the secrets of ships being designed in those yards or those under construction.   Illustrated throughout, this fascinating account of clandestine attacks on the Royal Navy’s dockyards will appeal to all those with an interest in Britain’s naval history as well as those interested in the history of these coastal towns and cities.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57680128246133,"sku":"9781398128446","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398128446.jpg?v=1792423217"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-philip-macdougall.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}